Mining Institute, Perm Federal Research Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia:

A. V. Krasikov, Engineer, Post-Graduate Student, alexeykrasikov55@gmail.com
A. S. Kazantseva, Engineer, Post-Graduate Student
M. V. Bogomaz, Engineer, Post-Graduate Student

The Kungur Ice Cave is the single cave in Russia and one of the few caves in the world where monitoring observations have been conducted for 70 years. It brings her in the status of a unique natural object which has to be considered as a standard of studying karst processes in carbonaceous and sulfate massifs. The variety of microclimatic situations and existence of a set of types of ice emphasize the significance of preservation of the Kungur Ice Cave and as natural monument. Overseeing of the processes in the cave is important for setting the most optimum mode of operation of the cave as the touristic site for 100 years. Today monitoring includes the following observations: geological, hydrogeological, geochemical, microclimatic, glaciological and surveying. For the long-term period of observation, the change of climatic parameters, morphometric characteristics, structure and quality of underground waters is revealed, and the dynamics of freezing in grottoes depending on season is studied. The continuous monitoring reveals various processes and factors that have influence on the cave integrity and safety. Furthermore, it allows prediction and control of such processes and factors, analysis of condition and processes in water bodies in the cave, prompt detection of water pollution sources, forecast of negative consequences for guided tours to the cave, adjustment of natural microclimate and development of geological processes in the cave, as well as tracing the trend of snow cover and ice growth. From the moment of initiation and expansion of the cave, these changes began to depend not only on natural, but also technical and anthropogenic conditions. Results of observations have great scientific and applied value.

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